Filtration devices, such as oil filters, are utilized on a wide variety of machinery, fluid delivery equipment, and the like. The filter is utilized to capture particulates, for example metal particulates arising from engine shedding. In this manner, wear is reduced, device lifetime is extended, fluid quality is improved, and so forth.
However, typical filters utilize a porous material with small openings. Particulates smaller than the porous material openings, for example smaller than about 20 microns, pass through the filter and remain in the fluid stream, where they can continue to cause damage and/or impair fluid quality. Additionally, decreasing filter pore size increases the power needed to pump a fluid. Attendant consequences can include: increased fluid heating, increased cost of fluid system to generate and contain the pressure, and increased charge production in the fluid as it flows through the filter element. Accordingly, improved filtration approaches and systems are desirable, particularly filtration approaches capable of filtering particulates of sizes smaller than the size of openings in porous filter materials.